Biden Dog Breeder: ‘It’s Been Horrific Since December’

Glenn Reynolds points to a story in a local Chester County, PA paper titled “Breeder Regrets Dog Sale to Biden.”  I clicked the link, expecting to find a story about Biden neglecting the pooch because he’s too busy doing whatever it is that vice presidents do.

Instead, it’s a tale of what a royal pain in the ass it is to do business with a high profile government official.

After the story about the puppy sale ran in the newspapers and on TV newscasts, three dog wardens from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture showed up on Brown’s doorstep for a kennel inspection. And they showed up again and again for four visits over four months.

She said she has also received death threats from animal activists against her and Biden, which were reported to the Secret Service and the FBI. Bob Slama, special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s Philadelphia field office, said the agency “cannot comment on an ongoing investigation.”  J.J. Klaver, special agent at the Philadelphia field office of the FBI, said his agency is not investigating the matter at this time.

“I thought when Joe Biden bought a puppy from me, what an honor,” Brown said. “Out of millions of breeders in the country, in the world, he picked me.” The glow dimmed almost immediately. Following a story about Brown and Biden in the Daily Local News, readers posted 131 comments, some chiding Biden for having the Secret Service with him when he went puppy shopping and others complaining he did not get the dog from a shelter.

And then PETA got involved . . . .

The Internet has turned virtually everyone into a potential public figure.  Ten years ago, she might have gotten a few nasty letters or a couple of crank calls from people who read about the story in the local paper.  Nowadays, though, hyper-local stories can be nationalized and acted upon by activist groups.

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James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is Professor and Department Head of Security Studies at Marine Corps University's Command and Staff College. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.

Comments

  1. Bithead says:

    Let’s be a little more specific, James. The fact of the matter is this kind of thing never came up with Bush (either one) or Reagan.

    And before anyone starts, this has little to do with the immediate quality of the people involved (Obama, the Clintons, Carter, etc), and more to do with the quality of the groups in the orbit of each of these people. It’s not much of a stretch to suggest Obama has attracted a larger than usual number of crackpots, even among Democrats.

    The distortion of the whole thing is amplified by the power of government.

  2. anjin-san says:

    I guess Chuckels has forgotten about the many people who were improperly served with National Security Letters under Bush, or incorrectly placed on “no-fly” lists.

    Yea, that had nothing to do with misuse of the power of government.

    As for the “quality of people” attracted by Presidents, how many of Reagan’s people required pardons? How many of Bush 43’s are indicted/convicted? More than a few…

  3. Bithead says:

    National Security Letters under Bush, or incorrectly placed on “no-fly” lists.

    Yea, that had nothing to do with misuse of the power of government.

    Definitive proof that this was misuse of government, would be nice. With you, bloody well impossible. But, nice.

    As for the “quality of people” attracted by Presidents, how many of Reagan’s people required pardons? How many of Bush 43’s are indicted/convicted? More than a few…

    And how much if it was driven by the was criminalization of a political position? I ask because it would seem to explain very clearly the conviction of scooter Libby, for example. Fitz always knew where the leak was coming from. Yet, he continued chasing Libby.

    Seems also to be in line with the methods employed by PETA, doesn’t it?

  4. anjin-san says:
  5. anjin-san says:

    And how much if it was driven by the was criminalization of a political position?

    Please provide definitive proof that this is the case.

  6. Bithead says:

    I’m not playing your games, Anjin. A question has been put to you. Answer it.

  7. anjin-san says:

    I’m not playing your games, Anjin.

    You made statements you could not support. You run like the wind when confronted with facts. Another day in the life of Chuckels the Clown.

    Do what you always do, proclaim victory and move on to the next rant…

  8. Tlaloc says:

    I’m not playing your games, Anjin.

    Shouldn’t that be “I’m not playing my own game” since he just turned what you said right back at you?

    Anyway… I’d have more sympathy for the poor breeder if she wasn’t, you know, a bitch who makes her living by abusing animals. I’m funny like that. Yes, Biden should have gotten his puppy from a shelter just like anyone else in the market for a pet. Puppy mills are abhorrent.

  9. legion says:

    Actually, the game Bit played (and plays here frequently) is just to take James’ perfectly reasonable point and turn it into a conspiracy theory-driven hallucination.

    The point, if you’ll look at the last paragraph of the post, is that the Internet is allowing wack-job groups – from any extremist position – to rapidly focus frightening amounts of attention on anyone who publicly disagrees with their sacred cows. Or, as in this case, anyone even tangentially connected to their nominal targets.

    It’s an ability that didn’t exist during the terms of Reagan or Bush Sr., and it can potentially have a very damaging effect on more parts of society than just free speech.

  10. sam says:

    Dudes, dudes, why even begin to argue with Bithead anymore? The motherf-cker is stone crazy on the subject of Democrats. Clinical and certifiable. It’s only a matter of time before the asylum beckonth. Stop wasting bandwidth.

  11. Bithead says:

    You made statements you could not support

    Prove it.
    Right here, right now.
    I’m not playing your game, Anjin.

    Oh… and you’ve still not answered the question.
    Just in case you thought I’d forgotten about it.

  12. Bithead says:

    Oh, and here’s a clue, Ajin, since you seem so very desperately to need it; the links that you tossed up, do not constitute proof. They certainly are situations where subjectively the charge could be made. But it’s not proof. I want proof.

    Prove it. Now.
    No more excuses, no more dancing.
    Now.

  13. Gustopher says:

    Three points.

    First, the radical right has done far, far worse than this. From the anti-abortion protesters that go from protesting to intimidation (and every few years violence) to the militia movement’s efforts at judicial intimidation. PETA isn’t mainstream, they’re not in Obama’s circle, they are the radical left.

    Second, Scooter Libby was convicted of obstructing justice by a jury of his peers. The reason for this is quite simple — he was obstructing justice, lying to Federal prosecutors, and preventing them from being able to build the case on the leakers. It’s not a little crime, it is an assault on the rule of law, and the little weasel deserved to go to jail.

    Third, the photo of Biden holding the dog was very unfortunately cropped. That puppy has the most adorable giant feet.